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June is Brain Injury Awareness Month

News from Harry Zarins, Executive Director of the Brain Injury Association of Canada

I just want to keep you in the loop on some important things out of Ottawa AND also provide you with information on Brain Injury Awareness Month and other developments.
Please feel free to circulate this information within your communities.
————————————————————————————————————————–Statements in Provincial Legislative Houses and City Halls
Below you will find a Sample Standing Order Statement / Proclamation that you can use when speaking to provincial and / or civic leaders. Please feel free to tailor it to your area and location to have a local or provincial leader read in the appropriate government house, provincial or civic.

Mr. Speaker, Today June 1st and during the month of June throughout Canada, the Brain Injury Association of _______________________ and the Brain Injury Association of Canada designates June as National Brain Injury Awareness Month to highlight awareness on the effects and causes of acquired brain injury across Canada.

As incredible as this may sound, brain injury in Canada is a silent epidemic. In Canada, brain injury is the number one killer and disabler of people under the age of 44. Statistics further indicate that incidences are two times greater within the male population.

Mr. SPEAKER, acquired brain injury is defined as a non-degenerative and non-congenital insult to the brain that may result in a diminished or altered state of consciousness, and result in impaired cognitive, physical, emotional and/or behavioural functioning.

The social, emotional and economic consequences of brain injury are in fact devastating not only to the survivors themselves, but to family members, caregivers, support workers and the community at large – everyone involved with working towards neuro-rehabilitation and recovery . And currently, there are no drugs or techniques that can cure a brain injury.

I encourage all members of this House, become involved with grassroot brain injury associations and to listen to survivor stories and family members speak about the support and guidance they have received. Their true life stories will fascinate you. Their courage and determination is really quite remarkable.
————————————————————————————————————————–What you should know about brain injury and recoveryBrain Injury Videos – Brain Injury Details

This video uses simple language and images of real people who have sustained a brain injury, as well as medical experts and advocates. More information.
———————————————————————————————————–“A concussion is a brain injury. Get the facts.”
That is not to take away from all of the many other topics one can cover or touch upon. There is quite a bit of information on the web on this topic and the DVD Wipeout can be used as well as a few PSA’s. You can also promote our website and the links below to develop your own communication plan.

When a penny is dropped, the survivor’s (memory or skill once lost) again understands something that he or she had long since understood. For June, we need to borrow their pennies as well all know for our survivors, the progress often seems like the tiniest increment, but when you add those little successes, you will see the true profit.

During June, Peter Luc is challenging everyone to pull on all their contacts, health, municipalities, banks and retail locations to have a penny bucket where everyone can drop their copper coins and at the end of the month or during different times of the month “dedicated volunteers” can collect and roll the pennies deposit it into a bank and forward a cheque to BIAC equal to the pennies deposited by August 1rst.

I am confident that there are a variety of other excellent programs that groups across Canada will offer to bring awareness to brain injuries. With governments taking interest in brain injuries, I would encourage where possible that politicians federal and provincial be invited to your events.
Thank you to everyone for continually bringing awareness to acquired brain injury.
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Please visit Brain Injury Association of Canada Virtual Bookstore!
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BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION OF CANADA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
AUG 24-26, 2011, CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI, CANADA – Complete details
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–Open Houses / Barbecues / Walks and so on
Want to host an Open House / Public Event and follow a simple agenda:
10:30 am Free Public Lecture on “What is a Brain Injury and the Road to Recovery” – Survivors Telling Their Stories
11:30 am Barbecue with a personality (It could be done as a free event or charging a minimum amount for the food and refreshments)
1:00 pm Planting a Tree or Garden or whatever is a appropriate for our area / Official Ceremony & Cake
2:00 pm Free Public Lecture “A Concussion is a Brain Injury. Get the Facts”
I am sure there is no shortage of ideas and do feel free to do as you see fit keeping in mind that we want to create awareness.
Good Luck and Thank You!
———————————————————————————————————–Follow BIAC and recent Brain Injury Developments on the BIACACLC Twitter Feed